The ceremony is quite a ways off, but we may already have our host for the 2016 Oscars.

Chris Rock is reportedly “in serious talks” to host the 88th Academy Awards. An official announcement is expected to be made within the next couple weeks. Rock had been rumored for the role once Reginald Hudlin took over as the new co-producer of the Oscars telecast alongside American Idol executive producer David Hill, since Hudlin once directed the pilot of Rock’s once-popular sitcom, Everybody Hates Chris.

Rock has been one of the more popular Oscar hosts in some time, as his 2005 show was among the highest-rated in the past ten years, with only Ellen DeGeneres’s 2014 hosting stint rating higher.

Credit: AMPAS

I loved Rock’s previous hosting stint, and it’s been a while since he’s had a proper outlet for his edgier brand of stand-up comedy, so this could be great. Provided it’s true, which I certainly hope this turns out to be. Granted, I’m still waiting for Justin Timberlake to get a shot at the gig, since he’s a modern Renaissance man in the Fred Astaire mold. But then, maybe it’s for the best, since I felt the same way about Neil Patrick Harris, and he largely disappointed in the role (although I think the writing for the show ultimately let him down too).